Police last night issued two separate warnings about burglaries in Lincoln Park and Uptown as residential break-ins are spiking in those neighborhoods as well as nearby Lakeview this month. Some of the victims have been home at the time of the burglaries, police said.
The most recent alert from North Side detectives details a series of at least six home burglaries in the Lincoln Park area since October 20th.
Police said an unknown male offender is accessing victims’ homes by either entering through an unlocked door or window or by taking the garage remote from an unlocked vehicle and using it to enter through an attached garage.
Once inside, the burglars are taking property from the victims’ homes or cars, police said.
The Lincoln Park burglary pattern involves burglaries in the following locations:
• 2700 block of North Greenview on October 20th or 21st
• 2700 block of North Janssen on October 21st or 22nd
• 2600 block of North Southport on October 22nd around 12:30 a.m.
• 2500 block of North Ashland on October 24th between 8 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
• 2600 block of North Ashland and October 27th between 1:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.
• 1500 block of West Wrightwood on October 29th around 3 p.m.
Earlier on Wednesday, police warned about a series of recent burglaries in the Uptown neighborhood.
The alert said one or more burglars have been entering homes through unlocked doors or windows after cutting screens. Once inside the residences, the thieves have taken valuables.
Police have connected six recent incidents in Uptown to the pattern:
• The 4500 block of North Dover around 11 a.m. on October 11th
• The 4400 block of North Beacon around 11:30 a.m. on October 11th
• The 4400 block of North Beacon during daylight hours on October 22
• The 4600 block of North Dover around 5:45 p.m. on October 23
• The 4500 block of North Beacon sometime on October 26, 27, or 28
• The 4400 block of North Dover around 7:45 a.m. on October 29
According to police, the burglar was seen in one of the burglaries. He is described as a white man between 19- and 20-years-old, 6’1” tall, with red hair.
That description is remarkably close to the appearance of a burglar who was spotted running from a home in Lakeview as the police alert was being issued.
At 5:35 p.m. on Wednesday, a man reported seeing a burglar run out of his back door and drop a stolen laptop in the 1500 block of West Henderson. The offender was described as a white man in his late teens or early 20’s who was wearing a black sweatshirt. The back door of the apartment had been kicked in, the victim said.
CWBChicago last week warned Lakeview residents after six burglaries were reported within 24 hours. The break-ins had been reported in the 900 block of West Newport; the 600 block of West Melrose; the 1000 block of West Byron; the 3700 block of North Kenmore; the 3400 block of North Paulina; and the 1400 block of West Melrose, we reported. Subsequently, police have confirmed additional burglaries during the same time period in the 1000 block of West Irving Park Road and the 3500 block of North Reta.
This is an excellent time to ensure that your door and windows are secured. Drawing your curtains while you are away is also a good idea. Even if you don’t usually make your home appear occupied while you are out, this may be a good time to start leaving a TV on with the volume up when you step away.